


Working On It

by OrionRedde, Shyrstyne



Series: Cometverse [48]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Getting Together, Miscommunication, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 01:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19241050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionRedde/pseuds/OrionRedde, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyrstyne/pseuds/Shyrstyne
Summary: Isa and Lea finally sit down and talk, with the help of some friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shy: aw poor van but yeah shit like this happens  
> Orion: RAGE

You’ve had a thought curing in the back of your mind for a while now.

It was just an idle observation at first, grown out of a suspicion from watching Lea and Isa interact, but over time it had solidified.

At first you hadn’t been quite sure what to do with that information, and then life had just gotten busy with Vanitas and the kids, and then…

“I think Isa’s avoiding me.” Lea is lying on the couch on his stomach, idly flipping through the pages of a book but not really reading it.

“Why’s that?” You ask. You’re in the side chair, doing inventory for the bar. You had seen Isa around the bar quite a bit lately, so it’s a surprise to hear Lea hasn’t.

“Just. A feeling. Maybe he’s just been busy.” He turns over suddenly to stare at the ceiling, anxious energy rolling off him.

“Weird, but It happens sometimes. I wouldn’t worry about it.” You try to allay. He rubs a hand over his face.

“I know. I shouldn’t. But the last time he started pulling away like this.. It’s fine. It’ll be fine.”

You start to answer, but then he suddenly stands, saying he’s heading to bed. You wish him goodnight as he presses a kiss into your hair.

It doesn’t sound fine if it’s making him stressed like this, but chances are it will sort itself out on its own. Surely Isa didn’t _mean_ to be distant after everything. He’s probably just distracted with something else. Stars know you and Lea have both had that happen yourselves.

It does make you concerned though. You know how much Lea values his friendships, and to have Isa pull away again runs up against many of his fears.. and that’s not even getting into Lea’s massive crush on the man.

Except Lea hadn’t known that, as you find shortly after the island kids get together.

“Freaking finally.” Is Lea’s comment on the matter as the two of you sit together for morning coffee. “We could tell those three were pining for each other back in Castle Oblivion. Hell, Marly’s whole plan practically revolved around it.” He’s smiling though. You can’t not be happy for them.

“Almost as bad as how you’re pining for Isa?” You flick a bit of balled up paper at him, teasing grin on your face.

“What- no I’m not-” He stutters, and his gaze flickers away from you.

“Don’t you lie to me. I’ve known you were in love with him for ages.” You say sternly, wadding up more paper and flicking it at him. Even if you weren’t privy to all the emotional tumultuousness between them, you’ve seen how Lea stares at his ass every time Isa gets up to go anywhere.

You can’t blame him. It’s a nice ass.

Lea has the wide eyed look of someone having a revelation though.

“Oh shit, I am aren’t I.” He says quietly, and just like that you realize _he had no idea_. You’re not sure whether to laugh or smack him.

“Oh my stars, Lea. Really?” You put a hand over your mouth, muffling the words slightly, but it’s the only thing keeping you from bursting out into laughter.

“Oh _shit._ ” He says again. You should feel bad you find his genuine distress at this amusing, but _honestly._

“ _Did you seriously not know_?” You wheeze, and he buries his face in his hands.

“He’s my _best friend_ , Comet.” His voice is strangled, and you reach over to pat his shoulder.

“Yup.” You pop the p for emphasis. “And you’re pining super hard for him. Wanna tell me for how long?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t realise- forever?”

You’re trying so hard not to laugh, you really are.

“Let me guess, childhood crush that just kept going and growing and you never figured it out?” He nods. He still looks kind of stunned and helpless, and it takes you a moment to figure out why.

After all, their time as nobodies had skewed everything in all kinds of directions. Had it persisted even through the time when they weren’t supposed to have any feelings at all? Questions for another time perhaps.

“I still love you though.” He says. You roll your eyes. You knew that. He might be a disaster, but he was _your_ disaster.

“Yup.”  
  
“And you’re okay with that.” He asks eventually. You reach for his hand.

“I’m not going to be mad at you for having feelings, Lea. You have a lot of history together, and you’re very close. I’m not even slightly surprised that you have feelings for him.”

“... Thanks.” He gives you a soft smile and you grin in return.

“Which is more than can be said for you apparently.”

He groans and leans forward to bury his face in your shoulder.

So that was one piece of the puzzle solved. Now for the other piece.

First though, you need to run it past Lea.

“You’d be willing to do that?” He seems a little stunned.

“Of course.” You say promptly. “I love you, you love me, you love Isa too. If Isa is willing, I see no reason we can’t make that work.”

“.... I don’t know if he will.” Lea runs a hand through his hair. “Isa is.. Particular. We don’t even know if he likes me. Hell, he’s still _avoiding_ me and I don’t know why. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.” He scowls at that, and you have to admit he’s not wrong on that one.

And that’s definitely something you’re going to have to bring up. Probably before anything else really, because whatever was going on there needed to be cleared up. You would eat your hair tie if there truly are no romantic feelings between the two, but you hold your tongue.

“Think about it. We can talk it out, see where it goes.”

Isa continues to avoid Lea, and even stops coming by the bar. You don’t know what’s going on with him, but it’s starting to worry you.

Lea almost catches him once, and is essentially brushed off. Your worry grows.

Lea is hanging out behind the counter with you, but he’s not much help today, listless and preoccupied as he is.

“I’m worried about him.” He murmurs, absently cleaning glasses while you mix drinks. There’s a couple people at an end table and a lady you haven’t seen before sitting at the tabletop bar nearby. A quiet night.

“I know.” You sigh. “But it’s hard to fix something if we can’t catch him long enough to tell us what’s wrong.”

Lea sets down the glass with an unreadable expression.

For a moment, you remember the first time he had come to your bar, face hard and grieving.

“.. what if he’s realized things can’t go back to the way they were? That being in the organization has messed us up too much to even just be friends.”

You reach out to rub his arm consolingly.

“Hey, no assuming, okay? We don’t know until we ask. It could be something else entirely.”

Lea shrugs.

“I guess none of it really matters until he actually wants to talk to me again.” There’s something bitter in his tone. You bite your lip.

“You’re worried it’s going to end up like in the organization.”

“Of course I’m worried. I want to pick him up and shake him I’m so worried! But I can’t do anything if he doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“We’ll figure it out.” You lean way up to kiss his jaw and take a tray of drinks to the end table. The lady at the bar takes her leave and leaves a generous tip which is nice.

You try to catch Isa to talk to him yourself a few times, but as though sensing your intentions it seems you’re being given the slip now too.

You’re having dinner with the whole family, Roxas and Xion home for the evening, and even they can sense something is off.

“Is everything okay?” Xion asks, and you almost go to answer when you realize they’re looking at Vanitas. He scowls and stabs his food with more force than strictly necessary.

“‘S fine.” He grumbles. Roxas gives him a flat look, and when Van doesn’t react starts flicking peas at him.

“Hey no food fights unless you’re cleaning it up after.” Lea warns. You’ve both learned trying to stop them entirely was a lost cause, you could only hope to slow them down a little.

Roxas pauses, shrugs, and then continues flicking peas. Vanitas holds out right up until he starts stealing Xions for ammo. Xion for their part merely ducks out of the way with a laugh.

“Fine, Fine, stoppit!” He gives in. “It’s stupid though.”

“And?” Roxas says, setting his flicking spoon down. “What’s up?”

“Me and Isa have been doing this thing where we go out and find weird food to try. We had a place we were going to try yesterday and he had to bail for some other thing.”

You and Lea exchange a glance.

“That sucks.” Roxas says, and Xion nods.

“You can still try the place with him later, right?” Xion asks. Vanitas nods.

“Yeah. Was just looking forward to it is all.” He shrugs again.

“It always sucks when plans get scrubbed.” You say, absolutely not willing to let your suspicions show. There’s an anger coiling in you at this turn of events, but you won’t act on it until you have all the information. “Unfortunately it happens sometimes, life just gets in the way. I’m sure he’ll be happy to do it some other time.”

Vanitas makes a noncommittal noise, but his shoulders aren’t quite as bowed and he looks a little lighter at the reassurance.

Isa can break your heart, he can even break Lea’s, but he had better have a good reason to be avoiding Vanitas too. Assuming that’s what it was, you try to remind yourself. You still hold on to the hope this is all just a shitty coincidence.

Two days later, a lady comes into the bar. She looks vaguely familiar, but it takes a minute for you to remember from where. She was the one who had left the good tip last time.  

She approaches the bar confidently, hands clasped behind her back. The bar is quiet, and you give her your full attention as she appears to want it.

“My name is Nora, I’m a friend of Isa’s. I would like to ask you some questions, and depending on the answers, request your help.”

A friend of Isa’s? That’s news to you. You’re instantly at attention, and set down the checklist you’d been working on.

“What do you want to know?”

  
  


You concoct a plan.

Nora enlists Julie to make plans with Isa at the Bistro, ostensibly to go over some project they’ve been working on. You watch from a distance with Lea and Nora as Isa greets Julie and takes a seat.

You can almost feel Lea’s frown. Apparently Nora can too, because she treads on his foot in warning.

You watch Isa and Julie talk for a while, until Nora responds to some unknown signal and approaches the table. You and Lea share a look before trailing after her.

Isa has a wide eyed, almost betrayed look as he sees you approach, and starts to stand. Nora pins him with a stern look.

“You. Sit.” She barks. Julie sighs at her wife’s brusqueness.

“Please don’t be mad, Isa. I don’t think any of you are on the same page right now and we really think you should clear things up.” The tall woman wrings her hands a little, a worried flush just barely visible on dark skin.

“So you trick me?” He scowls, still halfway out of his seat. Julie sucks her head, embarrassed.

“We tried being forward with our suggestions, and then you started avoiding us too. That’s not going to fly, and it’s not going to fix anything, so this is us staging an intervention.” Nora states, scowling at his brusque words towards Julie. Isa frowns and looks away, but doesn’t dispute the matter.

Julie gets up from her seat and takes Nora by the arm.

“We’ve done what we think is best, but this is all we can do. Everything from here is up to you. Good luck, I hope to see you tomorrow.” She says softly, and then the both of them walk away.

An awkward silence descends over the three of you remaining. You hesitantly take a seat, which Lea follows, dropping hard into the seat directly across from Isa.

Isa settles back into his chair, appearing resigned. His hands wrap tightly around the tea he’d ordered.

“So why were you avoiding me. Us.” Lea is the first to speak, and wastes no time getting to the root of the matter.

Isa won’t look at either of you, and you swear the tips of his ears have turned pink.

“Isa.” You try. “Do you…”

The words die in your throat. One end to that sentence is too hopeful, the other hurts to much.

“Are we not friends any more? Is this you telling me to fuck off?” Lea finally says, pain and fear only barely hidden behind a thin veneer of bravado.

Isa jerks back, startled.

“What? No, of course not! We’re still friends, I just…”

“Then why all this?” Lea leans forward. “Why are you avoiding me? Avoiding your whole family?”

“We’ve missed you.” You add. “You hurt Vanitas’ feelings when you bailed on him the other day.”

Perhaps it was born of anger, but he needs to know how this is affecting the people around him. Isa looks pained and regretful at the reproach.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, not for him, not for any of you. I genuinely did have something come up I had to take care of. I promise I will reschedule with him soon.”

“Busy doesn’t account for everything though, this has been going on for weeks.” Lea says. “Are.. are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I…” he stalls, uncertain.

You reach out a hand to rest right next to Isa’s, only barely not touching.

“Please Isa, you can tell us.” You encourage. There’s something pained in him as he meets your gaze.

“I’m a selfish person.” He says, looking at you, and then swinging his gaze to Lea. “I’ve tried to ruin your relationships before, Lea. I didn’t… I wanted to leave that part of myself behind. I would do anything to keep myself from hurting you like that again. You deserve better. You deserve _everything_.”

None of you miss the emphasis on the last word. Isa may not have admitted anything directly, but there’s no doubt in either of your minds what he means by that.

“You’re jealous.” Lea says with dawning realization. “Isa why? We’re not in that place anymore-“

“I know.” He cuts Lea off before saying again softly. “I know. I no longer have manipulation and possession at my heels and yet.. I’m terrified. Of what I could do. Of what I have already done.”

Lea is stunned into silence. You contemplate that for a moment, compare what you have seen of the man before you with how he appears to view himself and his history. You come to a decision.

“You’ve let negativity hurt you and the people around you before. But Isa- you’ve learned. You know better and your circumstances are better. You have nothing to fear here, with us.” You say.

“You don’t know that.” He whispers. You shake your head.

“No, I don’t. Want to know a secret?” You smirk as he looks up at you. “I don’t know that about Lea either. This isn’t a game of certainties. It’s an act of trust. We’re all just doing our best, you know?”

“How do you make it sound so simple?” He asks quietly. Lea snorts.

“It’s not simple. We know it’s not.” Lea shakes his head, wild red spikes like fire in the early twilight. “Stars Isa, I can’t count how many nights I’ve laid awake thinking about the things I did in the organization and wondered if I really do actually deserve to be where I am now, with a datemate and kids and friends and a keyblade.. and stars help me, I still want more.”

He reaches out, hesitating just a moment, before laying his hand on Isa’s.

“..I love you Isa. I think I have for a long time.”

Isa looks like he’s been gut punched, all the air leaving him at once. He glances between you and Lea desperately.

“I may not be in love with you,” you smile, trying to get that panicked look of his to settle, “but I do like you, Isa. If you’re willing and if we’ve read this situation right, I think we can make something work, yeah?”

It doesn’t though, he looks overwhelmed.

“I can’t- you know I can’t give you-“

“What, sex? There’s more to a relationship than sex, Isa.” Lea says firmly. “Yeah I like it, but I like you more.”

“I…” he glances between you, a warring cacophony of emotions on his face. He stands abruptly.

“I need to think about this.” He blurts, and then turns heel and power walks away, as if it takes all his self control not to break into a run. You look after him a little mournfully.

“Did we push too hard?” You wonder. Lea doesn’t look worried though.

“Isa doesn’t make any decision without considering it from every angle. It’s not a brush off, he really is going to think about it.”

“Probably smart.” You allow. It was a pretty big decision after all. Lea leans back with a smile.

“I’m betting he’ll be back to talk terms and conditions within the week.”


	2. Terms and Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa goes for a walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it should probably tell isa something that even the moon is trying to matchmake him at this point

Isa walks.

He stalks through the roads of Twilight Town. He does two full circuits before moving on, making wider loops through the forests and then the hills surrounding the town. Walking normally helps him think, clear his head, but it’s not helping today. There’s too much to consider. He doesn’t know how he feels.

Or rather he knows exactly how he feels. It’s what to do with that now that suddenly he  _ can  _ do something that’s thrown him for a loop.

It’s been too long since he could feel, without the constraints of manipulation and possession at his heels, he doesn’t remember how it works anymore. Sometimes he’s not sure if he ever did.

_ “You know I never did get the whole story about what happened in the clown cult.” Comet told him once as they poured him a drink in the bar. “Sometimes I learn bits and pieces and I’m not sure if want to.” _

_ “It.. wasn’t good.” He’d admitted. He’d tried so hard, so focused on their goal, and somehow lost sight of everything else. He’d been so angry at Lea for moving on, but then in his own way he’d turned around and forgotten his own friendships. _

_ Logically he knows he was being manipulated. They all were. Possessed and changed. But he still feels the guilt, pressing in on him from all sides.  _

_ “There are so many things I wish I could go back and change.” He’d said, mind fuzzy and disconnected. He’d told himself it was from the drink. _

_ “But what would that solve?” Comet had challenged. “Even if you could, and you change everything, what do you learn? The things that make you who you are now never happened, and then it’s just a different you in different circumstances.” _

_ “That seems all right to me.” _

_ “It sounds dull as fuck, dude.” They’d snorted. “Life happens. Make the best of it.” _

_ He’d hummed, noncommittal. Comet had paused, and then put a hand on his. _

_ He’d looked up. They’d smiled at him. Just holding his hand in theirs. _

_ “Look, I don’t know what’s got you in this funk, but I swear things are okay, or they will be okay. We’re here, Lea’s here, and you made it through everything in more or less one piece. We’re all glad you’re here so we can move forward together.” _

They were so.. Open. Affectionate. They cared and made sure everyone knew it. They were a little bit like Sora that way, if Sora was ten years older and cursed like a sailor. He didn’t know how to do that. Care.

It made him a little jealous. Bright, loving Comet and the fiery, emotional Lea.

Lea, his closest confidant. His Tool in the Organization.

His friend. His hope.  His love.

Isa held his poise like a lifeline, his distance like a safeguard. He didn’t know how to let his walls down, let people in. Not the way other people did. He remembers trying, when they were young. He left small gifts, arranged events so that the people he cared about were inconvenienced less or worked better for them. He showed his affection through actions, not words. Words got stuck in his throat, he didn’t know what to do with them. Not genuine ones. Not heartfelt.

Most people just.. Didn’t notice.

He got told he was cold. Unfriendly. Even when he smiled.

Lea was the only one who saw, who took his quiet acts of affection and said “I see you.”

He’d held onto that friendship like a hangman’s noose.

He’d never been good at letting go.

And then everything with _ - _

The Organization.

Xehanort.

And after everything was done, with Comet..

He couldn’t let go, but he couldn’t move forward either.

Where did that leave him?

_ “Why?” Xion had asked him. Hood up, face shadowed. He doesn’t know if it’s intentional on Xion’s part or if it’s just yet another side effect. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who she- who they are. The ties binding them together are scattered and discordant. Vexen assures him it will get better with time, as their heart, partially rebuilt from data, reconstructs itself but... _

_ “You could prove useful.” The walls have ears. He can take no chances, even when it’s just them in the room. He doesn’t admit to himself that he doesn’t know what he’d say even if he was absolutely sure of their safety. But he bids Xion stay close, and shows them a number of berserker moves in training. Xion must live. It doesn’t matter on what side. He doubts Xion notices the particular attention he pays to that. He owes that debt. To Lea. To Xion. To Roxas. _

_ Lea doesn’t even know he’s forgotten them. He could let it slide and no one would ever know, but he can’t. He’d let jealousy rule him for too long. It hurt Lea. It hurt the people Lea cares about. He has to make amends, even if just to himself. _

_ Xion looks at him, one of those long, long days. He’d just come back from talking with Lea. The last time he ever will, as far as he knows. It hurts. _

_ “What are you going to do?” _

_ “I follow the plan.” He replies without hesitation. The plan is all he has. Xion is silent. _

_ “.... But what then?”  _

He didn’t know.

He still doesn’t know.

They’ve lived. They have lives. They’re all starting to move on. And he’s still stuck in the past.

_ “We missed you.” _

_ “Is this your way of telling me to fuck off?” _

_ “There’s more to a relationship than just-” _

What did he even want? He had looked at all the couples growing up and felt nothing but confusion. As a child he’d seen the flurry of public displays of affection and wrinkled his nose. The very thought of sex made him cringe. In every way he was thoroughly unsuited to being in a relationship.

But he wanted to  _ be _ there. Lea had been his Best and often Only Friend for the majority of their lives. He’d considered it a selfish part of him that wanted to keep Lea close, that insisted on inserting himself into his life, but without dealing with all the other parts that others would be considered part and parcel of a relationship.

He hadn’t said anything when he had found out Lea and Comet were dating. How could he? Lea deserved to be happy, no matter how much his heart hurt at the thought. And he liked Comet, for all he wanted to hate them for taking something that wasn’t his to begin with. They’d reached out to him, to consider his part in their lives. He’d been the first person they’d called when Lea had first changed, terrified and panicking, it had been  _ him _ . He knows what kind of trust that is.

And now...

Now they were asking him to be a part of it, in whatever way he was most comfortable.

What would that be?

Does he even know?

No sex. That much was a given.

Touching and kissing was fine, most of the time, and as long as it wasn’t in public. Clause that he reserves the right to say no without judgement. 

Inclusion in major decision making.

Joint activities.

….

….What is he doing?

He shakes his head. 

_ What  _ is he  _ doing _ ?

All of this was intensely skewed in  _ his _ direction. He can’t tell what Lea and Comet could possibly get out of it.

Something pulls at his senses and he looks up. The long sunset of Twilight Town is nearing its finish, and the waxing moon is starting to rise, and he averts his eyes before the throb of a headache can form behind them. He’s back in town now, if only on the bare edges of it, looking into the dark and empty window of a shop. It’s not the inside of the shop he sees however. He’s staring at the castle of the World That Never Was. A looming, silent reminder of more than he cares to think about.

He looks away from the vision, pushes away the power. He hasn’t been back there since he last faded. He wonders what the moon is trying to tell him.

It’s rained recently. He walks past the puddles. There are the flowers of the Garden looking up at him when he glances down, the crumbling parts of a ruined wall on the edges. He hasn’t thought about home in years. His home was long gone, crushed beneath invasions and time.

Another one shows him rooms of white and gray, empty and desolate. He recognizes them. He doesn’t want to.

He walks briskly past the glass of street lanterns, not yet lighting the gathering dark, reflecting the spires of a castle back at him, one that no longer exists.

The tram trundles by, the last run of the night. In the metal siding he sees the edges of a sign, a small place barely big enough to be classified as a hole in the wall. He knows it. He knows it.

_ “We’re all glad you’re here so we can move forward together.” _

He sees the edges of Lea’s lopsided grin, asking him to come home. He sees the faded contours of Comet’s scars warping as they laugh, joyous. The reflections can’t make noise, but if he focuses hard enough he can almost pretend he can hear it. It fills him with a longing that’s as deep as it is powerful.

He doesn’t know why they would want him when he feels like he has nothing to give.

Perhaps… 

Perhaps that was just something he would have to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you were hoping to see the actual conversation, but tbh it's mostly just a rehash of stuff they've already talked about except ending with an actual agreement instead of Isa taking off to think, and imo that seems kind of boring. I was much more interested in what was going on in Isa's head during his think-walking.
> 
> BUT HEY THE COSMIC TRIO IS HALFWAY TOGETHER NOW FINALLY (not to imply this style of setup doesn't work, it's just not the endgame here is all :3). Lea and Isa are dating, Lea and Comet are dating, Isa and Comet are not dating but they're gonna take some time and get to know each other better a bit.

**Author's Note:**

> Also Isa is homo*romantic sex-repulsed ace for the record. Which makes his relationship with, well, relationships, a somewhat anxious one. 
> 
> *right now anyway. Keep in mind he’s working with a sample size of One (Lea), which as any good scientist knows, is not indicative of a pattern


End file.
